The present invention relates to a large volume silo for bulk material, particularly raw cement powder, with an annular silo base formed by a conical dome. Open air conveyor chutes pass radially inwards to discharge openings in the conical dome and terminate at flow regulators which are arranged adjacent to the discharge openings in the inner area of the conical dome and which are randomly controllable. Closed air conveyor chutes pass from the flow regulators to a storage tank.
A large volume silo is known in which the open air conveyor chutes conveying the bulk material from the vicinity of the silo bottom to the flow regulators are installed in a fixed manner. The flow regulators can be controlled in a random manner, i.e., they can be opened or closed to a greater or lesser extent as desired. Thus, the quantity of bulk material supplied to the storage tank is controlled and simultaneously mixing is influenced by cone formation in the silo area (see West German Publication DAS No. 23 52 455).
If the bulk material is, for example, raw cement powder for producing clinker bricks in a rotary furnace or kiln, at least two large volume silos are required for operating a rotary kiln in order to ensure that the kiln can always be supplied with raw powder. If it is necessary to interrupt the operation of one large volume silo, for example for repair purposes particularly in the vicinity of the air conveyor chutes, then the rotary kiln can be still supplied by the other large volume silo. The interruption to the operation of a rotary kiln is very disadvantageous for economic reasons.